1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for printing dye onto textile material. More particularly, the process relates to forming a dye image of a sublimable dye by magnetic printing, and transferring the dye image to a textile material by sublimation thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the conventional printing of textile materials, normally the textile material or fabric is glued to a printing blanket that transports it under the printing rolls or screens. After all colors have been applied, the fabric is oven dried, then the dyes are fixed, e.g., by hot air or high-pressure high-temperature steam. The textiles are then scoured and dried. In structurally unstable fabrics, such as polyester double knit materials, waste due to inadequate registration of the different colors may amount to 20-30%, which is very unsatisfactory.
Magnetic printing processes, particularly useful in overcoming the problem in electrostatic copying processes of unsatisfactory copying of large dark areas, are known in the art. Such processes are described, for instance, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,099,186 and 4,117,498. The particular processes described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,099,186 and 4,117,498 relate to processes wherein a dye and/or other chemical treating agent contained in a ferromagnetic toner is transferred directly to a substrate, e.g., such as a textile material, or is transferred to a first substrate, such as paper, for subsequent transfer to a final substrate. The difference in the processes of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,099,186 and 4,117,498 is that the former includes a step of subjecting the ferromagnetic materials to the action of a charge dissipating means.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,388 describes a method of dye absorption into the surfaces of plastics by placing a polyethylene film between a dye transfer paper and a sheet of plastic and applying pressure and heat thereto. The dyes sublime through the polyethylene film to the plastic film to be dyed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,915,628 related to a continuous dry transfer-printing process for textile webs wherein a continuous inert carrier, advantageously stainless steel, aluminum or paper, is applied to the surface of the web, which is then contacted with the material to which the dye is to be transferred, followed by heating and sublimation of the dye.